It was a normal day at the ruling PRM majority Chamber of Deputies when on Friday, 20 July 2024, despite the priority being the Penal Code, the deputies passed loans for US$485 million.
Meanwhile, Congress has continued under much pressure as defendants of the Penal Code seek amendments to the draft received from the Senate. Most of the media, civic society, women’s groups and business groups have come forward to strongly reject about a third of the bill’s clauses and urge the Penal Code amendments be left to the next legislature that opens on 16 August 2024.
On one hand, the defendants of the Senate bill belittle the arguments against its passing in the present legislature, saying those against it will have a year to push changes through Congress before it goes into effect.
The general public questions the rush of the Senate presided by Ricardo de los Santos (PRM-Sanchez Ramirez) and the Chamber of Deputies under Alfredo Pacheco (PRM) in ramming the controversial bill to meet the 25 July 2024 deadline. The ruling party will have an even greater majority in the next legislature. New clauses added such as articles that exempt military and the church from regular justice are mentioned as some of the reasons for the rush in passing the bill.
The generalized sentiment is that the Senate bill is “prehistoric,” as Hoy newspaper articles and editorial concludes.
Many deputies are ambiguous in their support and criticism of the draft bill. Deputy Magda Rodriguez (PRM-Valverde) urges deputies to think twice and reject the Penal Code submitted by the Senate. She sponsors another version she has helped draft that is also under study in the Chamber of Deputies special committee. She backs that the Penal Code be passed in this legislature, nevertheless. If the deputies amend the bill as received from the Senate, it will need to return to the Senate for approval, and the deadline is close, unless President Abinader extends the session.
On the other hand, the same deputy Rodriguez says that while it is true the country has an obsolete Penal Code, the country needs to approve one that is better, not one that restricts the rights that the old one allows, as reported in Noticias SIN. Speaking on El Despertador on Channel 9, Rodriguez called the present Chamber of Deputies under the leadership of Alfredo Pacheco (PRM-National District) the most conservative ever. Rodriguez was reelected to the Chamber of Deputies for the 2024-2028 term. The PRM is majority in the Chamber of Deputies, but there is also support from opposition legislators, including the spokesman for the house, Luis Henriquez who has gone on record saying there is time to pass the bill in this legislature if there is political will to do so, as reported in El Dia.
Because of the complexity surrounding some of the elements in the current attempt to produce a better Penal Code, including some 143 suggestions were received during the public hearings last week, the deputies postponed the report by the special committee until this Wednesday, 24 July. Numerous spokespeople used the public hearing to tell why the bill should not pass. The last day for sessions is 25 July.
As a result, there is some discussion as to whether President Abinader should convene a special session of Congress to ensure the bill passes the legislative phase. Members of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and other political parties have come forward expressing their approval of extending the legislature to give time to pass the Senate bill with amendments.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Noticias SIN
El Dia
El Dia
Hoy
Hoy
Hoy
Hoy
Hoy
Listin Diario
22 July 2024